


Amare e non essere amati è tempo perso

by Fruehlingsfuchs



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Italy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:00:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29114919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fruehlingsfuchs/pseuds/Fruehlingsfuchs
Summary: While Hinata is enjoying his life as a professional volleyball player in Osaka, Kageyama is struggling to get used to his new life in Rome. Hinata decides to help Kageyama and so they set out together to discover the beautiful places of Italy.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35
Collections: Kagehina Exchange





	1. Giorno 2988 / day 2988

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunglooming](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunglooming/gifts).



> Hello my dears, 
> 
> thank you for choosing my story.  
> It's been about fifteen years since I last wrote a fanfiction and I'm so excited to be attending the KageHina Exchange. 
> 
> Love sunglooming,  
> I fell in love with your ideas at first sight and I hope I can make you and all other readers happy with what arose from them.
> 
> Yours Frühlingsfuchs

"What do you mean by that?" asked Hinata, pulling a bunch of carrots out of the vegetable drawer in his fridge.

It was early evening in Osaka when Kageyama dialed Hinata's number. The two professional volleyball players had become familiar with video calls in recent years, so that Hinata's tablet now stood between vegetables and saucepans on the counter, while the redhead was preparing his dinner.

There was a rumble on the other end of the line and Hinata saw Kageyama's head disappear behind a washing machine from the corner of her eye.

“I don't know, it's just different.” replied the new Ali Roma player, who had been trying for half an hour to connect the washing machine in his newly occupied apartment in Rome. Kageyama was groping blindly for a pipe wrench when a high-pitched beep interrupted him. Hinata saw him reappear behind the washing machine, frowning, before the water hose burst from the tap and flooded the bathroom floor. Cursing loudly, Kageyama turned off the line and began to mop up the water hastily. "Stop laughing, dumbass!"

"S-Sorry," Hinata laughed and tossed the now sliced carrots into the pan in front of him. “I-in the beginning everything is always u-unfamiliar YamaYama. Ask someone from the property management to connect the machine for you. "

Kageyama, who was now drying his face, grunted. "It's not just the stupid washing machine."

Hinata felt silent and the image began to shake. Apparently, Kageyama had cleaned up the mess in the bathroom and was on his way through the apartment. The next time he appears in the picture, he was sitting on a small balcony, Hinata could see clotheslines and various items of clothing in the background. "It's all kind of difficult here." Kageyama began. “The paperwork, the traffic, the food, the... "

“... washing machine." Hinata teased.

"Oi."

Hinata grinned, but he guessed what Kageyama was talking about.

His former teammate had been in Rome for almost six weeks and the change was obviously difficult for him. Starting a new life has never been easy and especially not in a country where everything was foreign.

The new city, the people, the food, the completely different climate and the language. Hinata still remembered how difficult his early days in Brazil had been, even though he had prepared for over a year.

“You will get used to the changes, Kageyama-kun. How is the training with the team going?"

Kageyama stayed silent and Hinata saw the furrow between his eyebrows deepen.

"Kageyama?"

"It's okay. They are nice, it's just ... difficult to talk. It works on the court, but outside...”

Ah. Hinata could remember that too. There were rules of their own on the court; the gestures and looks were the same all over the world. Volleyball was a language they were all fluent in, but breaking the language barrier off the field was a completely different challenge. Even for him it had been difficult not to be able to talk to anyone in the first few weeks. Today he could laugh at his first bumpy attempts at Portuguese, but he also remembered the loneliness that situation had brought with it.

Lost in thought, Hinata looked out the window of his small kitchen. The sun was still shining brightly over Osaka. Yes, the beginning in Brazil had been difficult and if he had to start again by today, he would do a lot it differently. Nevertheless, he had learned a lot and had grown from the situation.

"Oi, what are you thinking about...?" Kageyama asked after a brief moment.

Hinata grinned. "Kageyama, how much have you seen of Italy so far?"

"Not much. I was in training. Why?"

Maybe it was time to share some of his hard-earned knowledge. “Well then, prepare yourself YamaYama. I'll come to visit you in Italy. "


	2. Giorno 2997 / day 2997

A week later, Hinata and Kageyama were sitting together on the small living room balcony that Hinata had seen through the tablet. It was a Tuesday in mid-July and the sun was just rising over the rooftops of Rome. The air was still cool, but there was no doubt that it would be a warm summer day.

Kageyama had picked Hinata up from Rome Fiumiciono Airport early in the evening. When his former teammate had stepped out of the terminal, despite his twenty hour flight, he was shining like the sun.

The sight of Hinata had suddenly taken away some of the restlessness that had accompanied Kageyama since he had moved to Italy. Of course he hadn't said that. "Your head looks like it's on fire." he had instead commented dryly and Hinata had laughed, "Ah. Nice to see you too, YamaYama.” before they had stepped out of the airport into the big, lively city.

"Here." said the redhead now as he handed him a cup of Sencha. Hinata had brought the tea from Osaka and had just brewed it fresh. Kageyama savored the familiar taste as he surveyed the little alley below his apartment. It was still quiet, but he knew that this would be different in a few hours.

"You have a really nice apartment!", Hinata gushed, "It's really cozy."

Kageyama snorted, knowing that Hinata was just trying to be polite. The furnishings in his apartment were still sparse, only the kitchen was adequately equipped. The summer belonged to the participation in training camps and tournaments of the japanese national team and that meant, above all, a lot of trips for professional players signed up overseas. The effective time that Kageyama had actually spent in Rome and this apartment so far was perhaps two weeks. To be honest, the apartment still seemed foreign to him.

"So what do you want to see?" Kageyama asked instead of an answer and watched as Hinata leaned back contentedly in the balcony chair.

"I want to see the _Colosseo_ and the _Forum Romanum_." said the person addressed without further ado. "What about you?"

Kageyama hesitated. In fact, he hadn't really given it that much thought. Of course, in the last week they had talked about what they wanted to do in Italy during their five days together, but Kageyama hadn't given any thought to the time in Rome. "I don't know." he explained therefore shortly and turned to his tea.

"Well Kageyama-kun, you are lucky that I'm perfectly prepared!" Hinata grinned, got up and pulled a small, worn book from his travel bag in the living room. Kageyama looked confused at his longtime teammate. "What's this?"

"A travelguide!"

"You read a travel guide?!"

Hinata gasped for air. “Do you think I'll be on the plane for twenty hours without preparing? I'm not you Stupidyama!"

Kageyama gritted his teeth but said nothing. In fact, he rarely went anywhere prepared, apart from the athletic preparation, of course, because most of his travels were of a professional nature anyway and so overloaded with obligations that he had no time to go sightseeing.

Hinata put the guidebook on the table in front of them and pointed to the colored sticky notes on the edge. "I'm here to help you Kageyama."

"Whats that supposed to mean?!"

"While the video call you said that the change is difficult for you and I tell you that it will help you to get to know the city and the country in which you live by now! And that's why YamaYama - what do you want to see from your new hometown today?"

They decided to see the main attractions of Rome right at the beginning of the day. By early afternoon at the latest, the tourist crowds would hardly allow a quiet exploration of the buildings, squares and shops. Rome was Italy's cultural and tourist center for a reason, and they wanted to take advantage of the lack of travel.

Hinata insisted on ordering them a _cornetto_ and _espresso_ in a small cafe near Kageyama's apartment, his guide had identified them as a typical Italian breakfast before they set off. Kageyama's apartment was in _Garbatella_ , a typical residential area for locals.

The morning had meanwhile become pleasantly warm and slowly the first locals pushed their way out of their houses and apartments. Kageyama and Hinata followed them on old cobblestones through narrow, winding streets, around brightly plastered house corners and up steep stairs between high rose hedges. Kageyama saw more than one cat lazily lounging on a wall in the sun and more than one dog who did the same.

 _Garbatella_ was a quiet part of the city in the south of Rome and looked a lot like the Italy Kageyama knew from school books and films. It was completely different from Tokyo, which he had lived in for the past few years.

Kageyama pouted, He hadn't had much to oppose to Hinata earlier on the balcony, because he actually had problems finding his way in his new life. Probably the dwarf was right and he still had to get to know the country and its people. Hinata had gone to Rio completely alone for two years and built himself a second home there. Kageyama didn't want to be told that he had lost to that.

They were on their way to the nearest stop to take the tram to the historic old town; from there they wanted to explore the city's sights on foot. Kageyama hadn't been pleased with the prospect. His previous experiences with the public buses and trams of Rome were rather mixed; they were either too full or, which was much more common and annoyed him much more, too late, but Kageyama did not have a driver's license and so they had to rely on public transport. At least that was the case so far, because when Kageyama turned to the redhead who had just photographed a few roses behind him, he was suddenly standing in front of a Vespa rental.

The small shop was nestled between a boarding house and a large row of houses, against a lush garden wall and presented a large selection of classic vehicles in the forecourt. As Kageyama approached, he saw Hinata stroking the chrome exterior mirror of a red Vespa.

"We could rent one," he said excitedly when Kageyama approached him.

Kageyama snorted. "What for? I can't drive."

Hinata looked at him mischievously from the side and a big grin spread over his features. "I do."

"As if."

“Geez Kageyama! That was no joke!" The redhead rummaged angrily in the backpack that he had carried diagonally over his back." I got my driver's license, you know that! "

"When?"

“During my preparatory year. Here!” His former teammate held the white card under his nose. The Hinata in the driver's license photo had ridiculously long hair. Indeed, he hadn't lied.

Kageyama snorted. Nevertheless. “This is a Vespa, not a car. Japan also drives on the left. There is right-hand traffic here, you will kill us!"

Hinata ran bis right hand impatiently through his hair. “I've ridden in Pedro's scooter a lot, it's not that different.", and after a moment he added, "Brazil has RIGHT-hand traffic!"

Kageyama was silent. The idea was not entirely unattractive, Vespa was a regular means of transport in Rome and an integral part of the cityscape. In addition, the prospect of being able to do sightseening without the disastrous local traffic was tempting, but the road traffic in Italy was not entirely safe. Not that he'd ever driven himself, but the taxi rides from the airport to his apartment had made him understand that the Italians weren't too strict about traffic rules.  
Besides, even if Hinata - allegedly - had driving experience, Kageyama didn't have it and he didn't feel like going on it just because the dwarf had some obsession with him. "You would kill us.", he answered and turned to go, but Hinata grinned as if he could read his mind. "Are you scared, Yamayama?"

Kageyama stared at him. Oh, that little piece of shit.

His first thought was that this would be his last day on earth when he got on the Vespa behind Hinata. The rental company had given them a modern, not too powerful two-seater and a brief briefing in English, which Kageyama had barely understood. But Hinata had nodded eagerly and finally received the keys.

"Are you ready Yamayama?" He grinned challengingly at him and handed him his own helmet. "You have to hold on to me tightly."

As Hinata brought the rattling vehicle below them to life, Kageyama hesitantly clung to Hinata's side. "You have to get closer to Kageyama," Hinata called, pulling him close. Kageyama could feel the hard torso under his hands. "I watch the traffic, you watch the signs. First station Colsseum!"

His second thought was that Hinata drove amazingly well. While Kageyama's impression of the traffic rules was correct, apparently these were actually recommendations for the Italians, he quickly realized that it was safer to adapt to the traffic flow than insist strict to the rules. Here and there they meandered past the cars like other Vespa drivers in front of them or drove by red, but the road users were considerate of their slower pace and overtook instead of jostling. After a short time, Kageyama was able to relax in the back seat. The wind awakened his spirits and he got to see parts of the city that he had never seen before.

Twenty minutes later they drove into the Piazza del Colosseo and Hinata laughed enthusiastically when he switched off the engine. "That was really fun!" Kageyama let go of Hinata's torso and dismounted with a small smile.

"You did well, Yamayama, but what else could you expect from a great driver like me." The redhead gave him a challenging grin, which Kageyama acknowledged with an amused snort. They parked the Vespa in one of the smaller side streets and set off to explore Rome's historic old town.

  
The _Colosseo_ was enthroned in the middle of the historic old town of Rome on the _Piazza del Colosseo_ named after it. They were both impressed by the size and style of the historic complex, which rose mightily against the sky. Kageyama himself had only seen the building once while driving past.

During the tour, Hinata insisted on reading a few of the horror tales from his clever travel guide from the time when the amphitheater was still used as a venue for gladiator fights. The descriptions sounded quite adventurous to Kageyama's ears and after the tour, they passionately discussed whether volleyball had been played in the beautiful building in the past. Unfortunately, the travel guide was stubbornly silent on this topic.

In the course of the morning they marched, with constant gibbering, through the _Forum Romanum_ and the _Piazza Venezia_ to the _Fontana di Trevi_ , where they had delicious _spaghetti ala carbonara_ for lunch in a small restaurant.

Rome was a city worth seeing and it didn't matter in which direction they went, sooner or later they ran into one of the many sights. For the first time since his arrival Kageyama experienced the city with tourist curiosity and he had to admit that it had a lot to offer.

In the afternoon they continue their tour after a short break in the park of the _Villa Aldobrandini_. Hinata only disappeared here and there into one of the many shops to buy souvenirs for family and friends in Japan. At the height of the _Spanish Steps_ , they finally turned around and ran across the _Pantheon_ and _Campo di Fiori_ along the Tiber back to the historic city center.

Now in the afternoon, the stream of tourists had increased significantly, so they decided to go back and prepare for their departure tomorrow, after all, a five-day round trip through northern Italy lay ahead of them.

After they had packed their bags that evening, they ended the day in a _Trattoria_ not far from Kageyama's apartment. The restaurant was known for its good regional cuisine and made a good impression on their way back from town. Hinata ordered both _antipasti_ and _carciofi alla guidia_ for them, as well as _vino_. When Kageyama gave him a disapproving look, he just laughed. "You're on vacation Kageyama-kun. There's a glass in there."

While they waited for food, Kageyama let his gaze wander over the area. As reluctant as he to admit it, Hinata had been right. The day had been exhausting, but it had brought him the first good experiences he had needed so badly.

He wasn't going to tell Hinata, but he was glad the redhead had made the way to Italy. He probably knew anyway. After all these years, Hinata read him like an open book. Probably this knowledge was the result of the long time they'd spent together.

When Kageyama came to the Karasuno, he was lonely and frightened. His teammates' breach of trust at the Kitagawadaichi had weighed heavily on him. He had been difficult and aggressive, that much Kageyama could see clearly today, but Hinata had never been impressed by it.

"I'm here!", Hinata had called out to him on the court, but for Kageyama it was more than just a call for a pass. Hinata had accepted him and made the past a thing of the past. Kageyama would never forget this moment.

They quickly had realized, that they shared the same passion, ambition and love for sport and in all the nights, weeks, months, even years, that they had trained in the Karasuno gymnasium, a bond had grown between them which, frankly, he could not fully explain, but which was undoubtedly real. For him, Hinata has long been the most important person in his life.

Kageyama wasn't stupid. He knew what these feelings meant. He knew that what he felt for Hinata was far beyond friendship, that it was love. But long ago he had decided to put these feelings aside. Volleyball always came first and his bond with Hinata was too important to him to risk it.

Kageyama glanced across the table at his former teammate, who, like himself, was indulging in his thoughts.

Yes, he had decided that this was enough.

Hinata had noticed his gaze by now and pointed to the guests around him.

Old and young, men and women, children, poor and rich - the company in the restaurant was just as varied as the food on the tables in front of them. The children were running around, a dog was looking for leftovers under the tables and music was playing somewhere nearby.

"I think I know what you meant when you said its different here," Hinata began. The waiter had just put the drinks and a small basket full of bread on the table in front of them. "It's livelier than japan." Kageyama nodded. " And they talk with their hands!" Hinata laughed and pointed cautiously at an older man at the next table, who was obviously telling a wild story. Or maybe not, they really couldn’t tell. "Its charming."

Italy was so much livelier than Japan.

Hinata thoughtfully watched Kageyama as he ate and finally said, “Don't think so much about it YamaYama. Get involved, I bet you'll learn to like it."


	3. Giorno 2998 / day 2998

The first destination on their five-day tour through northern Italy was just under a two hours' drive from Rome. After Hinata had turned out to be a great - passable in Kageyama's eyes - Vespa driver yesterday, they had rented a car that evening in order not to have to rely on the complicated and slow public train connections. However, even in the early morning it had already taken them an eternity to torture their way to the west.

Their destination, the small historical village of _Saturnia_ , promised them the perfect start for their tour.

The small town was known for its hot thermal springs in a beautiful natural setting.

The springs had been Hinata's suggestion. The first time he leafed through his travel guide, the image of the turquoise water had struck him and he was glad that Kageyama had agreed directly.

When they finally passed the entrance to _Saturnia_ , they were greeted by a large waterfall that was already clearly visible from the road. A few minutes later, Hinata parked the rental car in a large parking lot beneath the hot springs. Parking and using the springs were free; everyone was welcome to relax.

As they walked up the short path to the hot springs, Hinata let his gaze wander over the area. The springs lay embedded between green hills and surrounded by old chestnut trees in a small depression. The water flowed from a high waterfall through naturally formed, lime-white sinter basins down the slope and transformed the sight into a bizarre spectacle of water, rocks and steam. There was a slightly putrid smell in the air; the water contained sulfur, which gave the thermal springs their relaxing and healing properties. Hinata couldn't get enough of the sight and anticipation was reflected on Kageyama's face either.

It had been a good idea to leave early. Besides the both of them, there were only three other people in the bath; two younger girls, obviously tourists like themselves, were enjoying the hot water a little above them, while in one of the lower pools an older woman with her skirt rolled up waded up and down in the water.

They found one of the larger steps and put their towels on the stones a little to side. The historical dressing house which beloned to the springs was still locked, so they also left their street clothes next to the towels.

When Hinata let himself slide into the warm, almost hot water, he couldn't suppress a comforting sigh. The water felt fantastic on the skin and the warmth relaxed his muscles, which had been battered by the last few months of hard training. Lost in thought, he leaned his head back and let the warmth work for himself on his neck and back of his head. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kageyama watching him. He had swum a little further into the oval pool and was just letting the water of the next higher level patter on his muscular shoulders. "Oi Hinata don't overdo it. You know you can't take the heat well!"

Hinata waved his hand tiredly and moistened his face with the warm water, his skin tingling in the cool air.

Kageyama.

Hinata had to admit that his longtime teammate has been doing better in Italy so far than he expected. He said hello to his neighbors, used local transport and had the washing machine connected. The foreign currency did not present him with any major challenges either. While brushing his teeth, Hinata had even found a hidden copy of "Italian for Dummies" that morning, which he had pretended never to see. Of course, Kageyama hadn't bothered to learn Italian beforehand, and who could blame him? After all these years in high school, Hinata knew that this venture would probably have backfired anyway. Learning the language on site was definitely the better alternative for Kageyama.

Hinata lay on his back and stared at the light blue sky. He had to grin at the thought of high school student Kageyama. If someone had told them back then that this eccentric, unfriendly curmudgeon of all people was going to play for one of the best and most sociable volleyball nations in the world, Hinata would probably have burst with jealousy.

Today this was different. Hinata had got what he wanted. He played in the first division of the Japanese V-Leauge, his current contract with the Black Jackals ran for several years and was well paid and he was going to play the Olympic Games next year at Kageyama's side. He had arrived in professional sport, just as he had wished for and sworn as a teenager.Hinata had caught up and he no longer envied Kageyama his talent and career.

Over the years, the promise they'd made in their freshman year of high school had been a guide to Hinata's path. The goal of being on the same pitch as his biggest rival and closest confidante at the same time was the basis for his doggedness, his ambition and ultimately his decision to go to Brazil. With the fulfillment of this promise, with the entry into the professional league, pressure had been taken off him.

And space had been created at the same time. Space for something new, new feelings that he had felt somewhere between sand, heat and mild summer nights in Brazil, between all the strangers who were no longer strangers at some point, but had repressed them. Volleyball, their promise, had always come first.

But when they had faced each other on the court last November, when the promise was fulfilled, they had surfaced again. With all their might they are now calling for attention. Hinata had quickly understood that it was affection he felt for Kageyama and also that it was too strong to go away on its own.

He glanced furtively at his travel companion, who had come a long way closer and gave him a suspicious look.

"Oi Hinata, you are bright red in the face. Are you okay?"

When Kageyama finally helped him out of the hot spring and, with a roll of his eyes, pressed a cool water bottle to his neck, Hinata had to admit that this trip might not be quite as unselfish as he had made Kageyama believe.


	4. Giorno 2999 / day 2999

"One thing is certain." Hinata explained the next morning at breakfast, "You can't go on like this."

Kageyama, who had just bitten into his usual _cornetto_ , looked at the redhead in confusion. "What do you mean?"

“Your outfit! You look like a tourist!"

"I'm a tourist, dumbass."

Hinata rolled his eyes. “Yes here, but not in Rome! You live there, you should adapt more! The Italian men are really well dressed!"

Kageyama snorted. As far as he could tell, his clothes were perfectly fine, and Hinata was just talking with his shorts and brightly colored shirts.

"We should go buy you something that has more style. The guide says Verona is a good place to do it."

The two travel companions stood in front of a small café in the old town of _Verona_ , their destination today, and were having breakfast for the second time this morning. On Hinata's plate there were three colorful _tramezzini_ , which were typical for the second breakfast in Italy. They had left _Pisa_ this morning and were just waiting to move into their hotel room. After Hinata's circulatory collapse yesterday, they had taken it easy for the rest of the day and only visited the famous leaning tower in Pisa.  
However, the eye-twisting emoji they received in response to the typical tourist photos by Tsukishima let them be sure that they had taken the essentials with them.

The trip to _Verona_ this morning actually appealed to them more than the historic old town of _Pisa_. The Tuscan landscape had been breathtaking. Although Kageyama had traveled a lot as a member of the Japanese national team in recent years, he had never seen anything so beautiful. More than once they had to stop to take photos of the gentle, green hilly landscape with its cypress alleys, olive groves or vines and once again they were glad to had set off early, because the light of the rising sun had also made the landscape clear, cool, beautiful colors immersed.

Kageyama gave Hinata a disgruntled look. Was it really that important what clothes he wore? After all, he was in Italy to play volleyball, not to be a model and clothes were not important to him anyway. "Don't worry, YamaYama." Hinata smirked and started looking up the map of the city in the travel guide. "I will be at your side with words and deeds." Kageyama groaned. That was just what he was missing.

Four hours later they were strolling through the old town of _Verona_ with full shopping bags. After they were able to move into their hotel room, Hinata had dragged Kageyama straight into _Via Giuseppe Mazzini_ , which his guide had identified as the fashion center of the old town. Fortunately, all the shopkeepers recognized Hinata's lack of flair for fashion at first glance and only kept him there to interpret. However, a salesman had even released Hinata from this obligation and inconspicuously pointed out a worthwhile attraction in the immediate vicinity. Apparently the sight of green cargo shorts and yellow T-shirt with red hair was just too much for him in the long run. Kageyama had been grateful because Hinata's open praise for the new clothes had made it difficult for him to hide his embarrassment.

When the redhead returned half an hour later, Kageyama had just stood at the cash register and paid for his new wardrobe. Part of him cursed Hinata for the advice, especially when he saw the final price flashing on the till, but he also knew the pest was right. It was just the truth that men in Italy put more emphasis on good, fashionable clothing and Kageyama had no great desire to attract negative attention at future press meetings.

After leaving the shopping bags in the hotel room, they visited the rest of the sights of Verona.

The _Arena di Verona_ and the _Castelvecchio_ impressed them very much and in the evening they drifted through the city with the other tourists.

Kageyama had kept on one of the well-cut, short-sleeved shirts he'd bought in the store. The fabric was cool on the skin, a real plus in the warm weather. He noticed that Hinata, who had just bought a _panino_ on himself on a street corner, was watching him. "What's going on?", he asked him about it as they walked on. Hinata, obviously feeling caught, asked quickly. "Are you enjoying our trip, Kageyama?"

"Wh-?! How do you come up with that now?!"

"Well, just like that."

Before Kageyama could continue drilling, they stood in a passage that led into a small, leafy courtyard. The crowd had washed them in without them really noticing it. A small stone balcony was attached to the wall opposite the transition, and a female bronze figure stood diagonally below it. The courtyard was a beautiful sight, reminding Kageyama of the scene from a play he had seen in third year of middle school.

"This is Romeo and Juliet's balcony." explained Hinata, who was now balancing his ice cream and the travel guide. "Rumor has it that this place was the template for the famous balcony scene."

Kageyama nodded but didn't answer. His eyes had fallen on the walls of the tunnel. The ceiling arched darkly over them, but the side walls were covered with notes of all shapes and colors. As he approached, he realized that the notes held handwritten messages in every language in the world.

"These are love messages.", Hinata explained and ran his right hand thoughtfully over a frayed red note in the shape of a heart. "They say hanging them here brings happiness in love."

Kageyama felt himself blush and he also felt the look Hinata threw him before the redhead turned away and followed the other tourists into the courtyard. Kageyama, forcing himself to calm down, was about to go after him when a small, white note at eye level caught his attention. It looked like it had been hanging in this place for a long time, its edges worn and badly wrinkled. Kageyama realized that the writer had only written one sentence.

**_Amare e non essere amati è tempo perso_ **

Kageyama's heart was suddenly beating up to his neck and before he could think about it he had torn the note from the wall.

For a brief moment he felt bad. The sticky tape that had held the message on the wall was new. Apparently someone had bothered to hang up the note over and over, but Kageyama sensed that he had done the right thing, even if he couldn't explain why.

Hinata had told him to get involved in Italy and not think too much. Here you go.

When he followed Hinata into the courtyard a short time later, his heart was still pounding and he was glad that his former classmate was busy holding the bronze Julia by the chest as secretly as possible for a little luck. Feelings and clever travel guides or not - sometimes the idiot just drove him insane.


	5. Giorno 3000 / day 3000

It was afternoon when their rental car broke.

They were on their way from _Verona_ to _Venice_ and had just squirmed over a little something when the car suddenly slowed down. Hinata barely made it into a parking space on the side of the road before white smoke rose from under the hood. They stared at each other, shocked.

They had left the busy toll road a long time ago. It was not far to Venice and the way on the side streets had promised a nicer journey, so that the decision has not been not difficult. Now they were standing with a broken car somewhere between two villages, in a country where they neither had the language nor the knowledge to explain what had gone wrong. They were in a tight spot.

"What a damn shit!" scolded Kageyama, who had obviously found his voice again. "What did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything!" Hinata protested immediately. "I drove normally!"

"Oh yeah?! That’s why you’ve just blown the engine!"

"Its not the engine, its the cooling!" called Hinata. He knew that Kageyama didn't have a driver's license and couldn't know, but he was just as surprised by the situation as Kageyama was. "White smoke means water vapor! The cooling is broken!" He hastily pulled the key from the lock and unbuckled his seatbelt.

"I don't give a shit what that is! What do we do now ?!" "If you stopped yelling, I might think of something!" Hinata yelled back, got out and slammed the driver's door behind him. Furious, he opened the hood and took a deep breath.

Just before the car slowed down, the control lamp for the cooling water had come on in the car. Water had probably leaked that had evaporated on the hot engine block. Hinata had stopped quickly, the damage couldn't be too great. Nevertheless.  
They were in the middle of nowhere and they hadn't seen another car in the past half hour. The chances were slim that someone would come by and take them away. Hinata closed his eyes and took another deep breath in and out. Stay calm. This was not his first disaster in a foreign country.

After a moment, he finally went back to the car and picked up his cell phone. The car rental business card was in the glove compartment and he instructed the still shortheaded Kageyama to find their position via google while he dialed the given service number.

The line was free immediately and the lady in the switchboard was fortunately able to help them. She recorded their details and their location and promised to send them help. They should just stay where they were.

Hinata sank into the seat with relief. For a brief moment he had feared they would be seriously stuck here. Google Maps showed them ten kilometers to the next village. Running the route in the midday sun wouldn't have been fun.

Less than half an hour later, a tow truck appeared in the rearview mirror. Kageyama and Hinata were relieved when a man in his forties got out and told them he was going to take them to the nearest major town to have the car repaired. He introduced himself to them as Alessandro Rossi and Hinata noticed that he watched them thoughtfully as they gave him their names.

Signor Rossi invited them in brittle English to change into his car and when Kageyama opened the car door, three pairs of curious eyes peeked out from behind the back seat. The two boys and the girl smiled uncertainly at the strangers and began to whisper as soon as they took their places.

To Kageyama the whole situation was rather uncomfortable, while Hinata was already his social self again. They had been silent for the past half an hour, but there was already no sign of that anymore. Hinata sat between him and Signor Rossi and fooled with the children in the back seat. As soon as the cars started moving, Hinata began a lively conversation with the older man about the weather and how they had gotten into their predicament. Kageyama held back. His English was pathetic and he wasn't particularly good at small talk anyway.

"We're on a round trip..." Hinata explained in English and pointed at the car, which was now sadly dangling from the hook behind them. "...but shortly before the finish line the engine compartment was suddenly smoking." Signor Rossi nodded understandingly and asked with interest where they were going - the F _esta del Rendentore in Venice_ \- and what they had already seen in Italy. When Hinata mentioned her trip to Saturnia he suddenly shouted: "I knew I knew you guys! You are Tobio Kageyama and Shojo Hinata!"

Kageyama and Hinata stared at him, confused. So far they had only introduced themselves by their last name.

The older man laughed at their irritated faces and said with a wink to the back seat, "My son Lorenzo is a big volleyball fan! He's actually talking about nothing else!" The smallest of the three children, who hadn't understood a word so far, suddenly blushed when his name was mentioned and sank deep into the back seat. "Woah! Really ?! Thank you very much!", Hinata beamed and turned to the little boy. Lorenzo sank deeper into the back seat as far as possible.

However, when Hinata turned to the other two children, he looked into shocked faces. One look at Kageyama provided the explanation.

"Kageyama don't do that! You scare the children! Signor Rossi, please tell your children not to be afraid. Kageyama just can't smile properly."

"Hinata you idiot!" scolded the opponent, whether his unsuccessful attempt at a friendly smile.

Mr. Rossi laughed with all his heart at the stupid argument in the passenger seat.

Less than ten minutes later, the broken rental car drove into the Rossi family's workshop. The workshop was on the outskirts of the little village of _Tribano_ , about halfway between _Verona_ and _Venice_. Kageyama had the impression that the people of the small community knew each other well, they had often received friendly greetings on the way here. A dog trotted toward them from the large, light blue house adjoining the workshop as soon as the car came to a stop.

Signor Rossi had offered them to wait at his place to inspect the car. The translation of the offer into Italian had sparked such enthusiasm among the children in the back seat that they could hardly refuse. Lorenzo, still embarrassed, led Hinata and Kageyama down a side passage into the family garden as soon as they got out. The light blue house of the Rossi family was built in the Mediterranean style and could very well have sprung from a postcard. Windows with dark shutters and angled balconies faced them across several floors. Colorful flowering plants grew on the house, had spread wildly over the years and took up a large part of the crumbling house facade by now. Grapes grew between white light bulbs on the wooden roof of a large terrace. The family's wild garden expanded towards the rear to form an orchard with gnarled lemon, orange and olive trees. The entire complex was a charming sight.

As they approached, Kageyama saw that an elderly woman sitting on a white plastic chair between the trees. She gave them a friendly wave when she recognized her son.

"This is our Nonna." Signor Rossi explained to them after he had explained the situation to the old lady. "She is the good soul of our house. She says you should make yourself comfortable, she is happy about the company." The children had meanwhile brought them drinks and chairs and were running excitedly around them.

"Are you harvesting today?", Hinata asked before Signor Rossi could say goodbye to inspect the rental car. There were baskets around the trees, some filled with huge yellow lemons. The children were climbing into the trees and starting to pick the fruits.

"Yes ...", the family man replied irritated, but before he could say another word, Hinata shot off "May we help you while we wait?" Kageyama immediately agreed. He would have felt shoddy to sit around while others were working.

Signor Rossi looked at them puzzled, but had no objection. He asked the children to show them what fruits should be harvested and left. A little later, Hinata and Kageyama were sitting between the fragrant lemons in the treetops and grinned at each other at the crazy situation. The Nonna looked up at them smiling.

For a long time they vied about which of them would harvest the most beautiful (Kageyama) or most (Hinata) fruits before Kageyama finally began

"About earlier ..."

Hinata, who was reaching for one of the leftover, hard-to-reach fruits, looked at him with interest.

"... because of the situation in the car."

"What about it?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Wow. That's rare."

Kageyama gritted his teeth.

"To be honest, that's scary."

"Hinata ..."

Hinata laughed and looked at him frankly. "It's okay, Yamayama. I was in a lot of situations like this in Brazil and I know how you felt. I'm not angry." Kageyama was relieved. The constant squabbling was normal to them, but he'd been sorry for his outburst earlier. "Thank you."

Hinata looked at him clearly confused. "Don't be so nice, this is really scary."

An hour later Signor Rossi informed them that the car could not be repaired so quickly and that the car rental company would send them a replacement the next day. Since there was no hotel in the village, he warmly invited them to stay the night. Kageyama wanted to refuse and take a taxi to the next bigger city, but when he glanced over at Hinata, he saw that the little devil was saying "Don't think so much about it Yamayama" in silence. With Hinata's triumphant grin, the two finally agreed.

"Wonderful!", their host laughed, "We celebrate that. After all, you don't have two celebrities in the house every day!"

By evening half the village had gathered in the Rossi family's garden. Kageyama's impression was not wrong, the people knew each other in _Tribano_. Nonna had made sure that everyone really knew who her son had been collecting on the roadside this morning. Hinata and Kageyama were a bit uncomfortable with the hustle and bustle around themselves, not because they weren't used to the attention, but because they didn't understand what was being said to them. They were relieved when the attention finally shifted from them to the actual celebration for a while.

The neighborhood had brought a wide variety of specialties and the table was so richly set, that they could never eat it all. Kageyama recognized _risotto_ , _pasta_ and various _pezzi_ among olives, lemons, tomatoes and all types of cheese and bread.

The company celebrated exuberantly. There was loud talk and laughter, the children ran back and forth between them and played with the Rossi family dog. A small band had even formed, so there was a lot of singing. The younger villagers spoke English to them, they told stories from their lives and underlined every punch line with a thousand gestures. Kageyama listened carefully and, in a way, enjoyed the atmosphere. Hinata had refilled his wine glass for him without noticing it and Kageyama felt how he found himself in this noisy, happy company.

It hadn't taken long for the neighborhood kids to gather around Hinata. Lorenzo had pulled a volleyball out of the depths of the house, so that Hinata was now practicing passes with the children among the lemon trees. Kageyama was pretty sure that Hinata didn't understand a word the children were telling him, but the mood was excellent.

Kageyama, watched the scene by a moment of calm from his seat at the end of the table. Hinata's technique was really lousy today, but he overlooked it when he saw how much fun Hinata was having with the kids.

Hinata asked him yesterday if he was enjoying her trip. The question had gone unanswered, but it hadn't let go of Kageyama since then. The truth was, yes, he was enjoying the trip. It had brought Italy much closer to him. They had found beautiful landscapes between exciting cities and tonight was proof of how great the food was and how hospitable the people were.

After all the experiences here, he was looking forward to what would still await him in Italy. Hinata had been right, he just had to give it a try.

But what was really special to him about their trip was Hinata's closeness.

The last few years they hadn't been able to spend a lot of time alone together, if you ignored the video calls. Either one of them had been abroad or they had been in company. The new closeness to Hinata made Kageyama realize how much he missed him and how strong his feelings really were. It had become difficult to hide them.

Kageyama had the little note from Verona still in his pocket. So far he hadn't had the opportunity to translate it, Hinata had always been around and he wanted to be alone when he heard the message. His intuition told him this was important. When Signor Rossi sat down next to him, an opportunity arose that would probably not arise again anytime soon.

But when Kageyama tried to speak, he suddenly felt silly. The piece of paper was probably just some cheesy saying, some silliness, put up by a teenager in love. Kageyama would be ridiculous, but just as he was about to get up, Hinata's words came to mind.

_"Don't think so much about it YamaYama."_

Kageyama looked at Hinata, who was now dancing with Nonna.

"Can you tell me what's written there?" Kageyama managed uncertainly and held out the small piece of paper to the man in front of him. Signor Rossi looked at him in amazement, but then took the slip of paper. He read the sentence, smiled mildly, and handed the slip back to Kageyama. “It's an old italian saying." he explained "It says -To love without being loved in return is a waste- Where do you found it? "

"In Verona." Kageyama answered and felt the heat rise in him. Caught.

It was late at night when the celebration ended. Kageyama was silent while they turned their beds in the guest room of the house. They slept side by side on thick, comfortable mattresses and Hinata closed his eyes as soon as he lay down, of course, the dwarf had always been able to sleep anywhere. But Kageyama lay awake a long time.

He thought about himself and about Hinata. About their past and present, about the time that had passed while they were on their way through life and again and again about the feelings that accompanied him. Late at night he turned to the person he loved so much.

"You are such an idiot.", he whispered and looked at the sleeping man in front of him. "Why did you come here?"

The moonlight shone through the small window of the room and illuminated Hinata's features. Brown skin, red hair. Kageyama wanted to touch them. Kiss them.

It was silly to deny these feelings, they took up so much space in his life.

He carefully brushed one of the wild curls off Hinata's face.

And under Italy's bright starry sky, between old mattresses and blankets, Kageyama had to admit that "just loving" was no longer enough.


	6. Giorno 0 / day 0

When Kageyama woke up the next morning he felt exhausted. He had lain awake half the night and turned his mind from left to right, so that he had finally fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning. When he woke up, Hinata had already left. He wasn't surprised, the redhead had always been an early riser and of course he couldn't get out of his skin in Italy either. In fact, if Kageyama was honest, he was quite glad Hinata hadn't been in the room. After last night, he didn't know how to meet Hinata.

Before Hinata took him on this trip, the Italian way of life had felt like a waste of time to him. He hadn't understood how they could spend so much time eating, talking and being with each other without it being of any use to them. But while the party last night, when he read the note from Verona, he understood that it was him who had wasted his time.

Enjoying life and spending time with loved ones was not a waste of time.

Kageyama had checked it. It had been three thousand days since he first met Hinata in middle school. Three thousand days that the most important person in his life, was at his side and yet so infinitely far removed from him. Three thousand days that he had wasted and Kageyama didn't want it to be another day.

But he was afraid.

He knew that Hinata cared about him. Hinata knew as much as he did about the unspoken, special bond between them, but Kageyama didn't believe that Hinata showed him the same love that Kageyama felt for him. Love between friends, two men at that, was always difficult.

Three thousand days and Kageyama didn't know what to do.

  
Nonna gave him a big smile as soon as he stepped down into the kitchen. Giulia and Matteo, the kids, were also sitting rather crumpled at the kitchen table and chewing on a _pane a marmellata_. Kageyama also got two of the sweet breads and a cold glass of milk as he sat down. The breakfast did him good and brought life back to his tired bones.

It didn't take long until the Signor Rossi entered the kitchen with Hinata in tow. The family man looked like he had never celebrated or drank and Hinata was already his radiant self again. Kageyama had almost choked at the sight of him.

"Tiredyama! The replacement car is here!" Hinata said happily while he took one of the _Pane a Marmellata_ , which Nonna had now given him. She smiled when she saw the two of them together. "Signor Rossi says it's not far to _Venice_ and if we can get off quickly, we can still enjoy the _Festa de Rendentore_!"

And so they packed their things right after breakfast and loaded the rental car. It was difficult for them to say goodbye. Nonna insisted on giving them two glasses of their homemade lemon jam while she hugged them tightly and pressed kisses on both of their cheeks. Lorenzo shyly held out the ball to Hinata that they had played with under the lemon trees last night. "He's asking for an autograph." the father smiled and pushed the black hair from the forehead of his youngest son. "Of course!" laughed Hinata and also took the opportunity to take a few photos that the little boy could post on his Instagram channel.

"Thank you for everything!", they called with the windows down and when they finally drove out of the driveway it was like leaving old friends behind.

As promised, the way to Venice was not far. The toll-free expressway meanders rapidly through an increasingly rough landscape towards the coast. The replacement car performed well and Hinata leads it after just over an hour of driving to the parking lot of _Terminal Fusina_ , where they parked the car as originally agreed. They unloaded their luggage and switched to one of the ferries, that took them past _Isola san Giorgio_ through the southern lagoon to _Zattere_ in the _historic center of Venice_.

Venice was the last stop on their tour together. The lagoon city was lokated in northeast Italy and was one of the landmarks of the country. The city, built on stilts and over 150 islands, was unique in the world and was one of the most visited places overall. When the city emerged from the water with its colorful houses, churches and palaces in front of them, Kageyama understood why it was said that this city must be visited by everyone once in a lifetime. The sight was breathtaking and he read on Hinata's face the same admiration that he felt.

  
When they went ashore in _Zattere_ , a fresh, salty breeze blew around their noses. They stood on a promenade lined with brightly colored houses, which they followed a little to the east. Their hotel was in _Dorsoduro_ and their room had a wonderful view of the _Canal Grande_. Kageyama couldn't get enough of the view, so he could simply answer with an "Yes" when Hinata asked him if he was enjoying the view.

As they expected, the city was full of people.

The _Festa de Rentendore_ was one of the most important events in the lagoon city and was celebrated every year in the third week of July.

When they joined the tourist streams across the Grand Canal a little later, it was already early afternoon.

They crossed the wide waterway that divided Venice in half, over the nearby _Ponte dell'Accademia_ and immersed themself in the picturesque labyrinth of alleys and canals.

They soon found that they would no longer be able to explore the major tourist attractions that weekend, the crowd and the crush had meanwhile become too big. This weekend belonged to the people and festivities, not monuments and palaces.

Without words, they decided to stay away from the hustle and bustle for the time being and instead enjoyed a stroll through the lagoon city. They let themselves be carried away by curiosity and followed the channels without paying close attention to where they were. Only in the evening would they attend the festivities for which they had come.

While they strolled through the almost empty streets, Kageyama marveled at the architecture and many boats on the narrow canals. Hinata sent about two thousand photos to his entire circle of friends in the same time.

The city was colorful and somehow uncomfortable, everywhere there were bridges over the many canals, where they didn't expect any and where they did expect any, they found none. They saw beautiful, old _gondolas_ with well-dressed _gondlieri_ on the stern and colorful gardens behind romantic gates. The town's houses were old and jutted tightly out of the blue water. Palaces nestled next to apartment buildings and the numerous small squares displayed the city's former wealth. To Kageyama, the city seemed like a quiet secret in an otherwise lively country.

In the early evening they sat down with a huge gelato on one of the low side channels. Hinata dangled his legs over the shallow water.

"I think this is the most beautiful city I've ever been to." he explained with a look over the canal estuary in front of them and Kageyama, who was sitting next to him, could only agree.

Around nine o'clock, they joined the celebrations in the center of town and entered _Piazza San Marco_ from the north. They had heard the music of the numerous bands in the various small squares in the area from afar and the closer they got to St. Mark's Square, the more colorful and full it became. Around every corner they met new solo artists, musicians, showmen or artists who showed off their skills.

The classic charm of the city was mixed with excitement and the atmosphere reminded Kageyama of the summer festivals in Japan, except that he wore shirt and jeans instead of Yutaka.

Once again they drifted with the crowd. The promenade of the Grand Canal was decorated with lanterns and lined with small stalls. The stalls sold the typical Venetian specialties - _Chicheti_ , _Sarde in Saor_ and _Pasta e fagioli_ \- as well as the Carnival masks in all shapes and colors, which were so famous for Venice. They quickly forgot their good intentions and ate and bought whatever they wanted. They let the many artistic performances sink in and admired jugglers, light artists and fire-eaters. The Grand Canal was now littered with boats, the lights of which were reflected on the water of the lagoon. The sight was surreally beautiful and they stayed on the bank for a long time and let the scene sink in.

The Festa de Rentendore was a festival that was celebrated for the love of life and that is exactly how the Italians celebrated it.

As it approached midnight, the crowd grew nervous. There was a tense anticipation in the air.

Hinata and Kageyama had agreed to see the climax of the traditional fireworks over the _Bacino di San Marco_ from _Piazza San Marco_.

They were strolling along the _Palazzo Ducale_ when Kageyama lost sight of Hinata. The redhead had been behind him until just now and admired the displays of the stands, but when Kageyama looked around now, he couldn’t see his friend anywhere.

He quickly took a few steps out of the crowd and stood at the side of the _Ponte della Paglia_. The bridge connected the _Piazza San Marco_ with the waterfront and Hinata definitely had to cross the bridge on the way to the piazza. They had ten minutes to go before the fireworks and Kageyama was getting nervous. Hinata was a bloody dwarf, finding him in this crowd would be difficult.

For a few minutes he stood lost among all the people and stared searchingly into the crowd. He tightened his hand in his left jacket pocket around the small white note from Verona. He was about to pull out his cell phone and call the damn idiot when he heard someone calling his name behind him.

_"Kageyama! I'm here!"_

When he turned around, he saw Hinata pushing himself through the crowd across the bride.

Kageyama stared at him and couldn't say a word. It was stupid. He was so stupid.

Of course Hinata was with him. Hinata had always been with him.

Even back then, during their very first training game together in the Karasuno sports hall, Hinata had called him, found him and never lost sight of him since.

Kageyama felt the little note heavily in his hand.

_**Amare e non essere amati è tempo perso** _  
_**-** _  
_**To love without being loved in return is a waste** _

Kageyama lowered the cell phone and walked a little towards his longtime companion.

He got it. Hinata was Hinata. Whatever Kageyama had to say to him, Hinata, like all the years before, would just take it and face him honestly.

Kageyama wasn't going to lose him.

He was trembling, but now he knew what to do, what to say. He had nothing to lose, but so much to gain.

And before he could think, before he really knew what he was doing, Kageyama hugged the most important person in his life and whispered "I love you" in a trembling voice.

And under the colorful fireworks, surrounded by all the people who saw them and yet didn't, Hinata kissed Kageyama for the first time.

The train that was supposed to bring them back to Rome from Venice the next morning was delayed. Kageyama laughed when he read the display at the train station. Beside him, Hinata also grinned, and held his hand a little shyly. A week ago a late train would have upset Kageyama, but today he couldn't have cared less. Kageyama loved and was loved. There would never be more a wasted day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write a story that tells of the beauty of Italy and the beauty of commonality. I hope I succeeded.  
> Frühlingsfuchs


End file.
